Falchuk, a Newton resident who's worked as a Washington, D.C., attorney and president of a health-care company, founded the United Independent Party last year, He is running as one of two third-party candidates in this year's governor's race.

Falchuk said he started the party to address what he views as a problem in the existing political ecosystem.

"This what people do all the time here at this entrepreneurial center," he said after touring M2D2. "What's happening is people say, "I see a problem, and I think I know how to solve it, and now it's just a matter of building the structure to make it a reality. This is something we see all the time in the private sector, but we don't see it very often in politics."

Describing his party's platform as a pragmatic one that protects social rights and is fiscally responsible, Falchuk said the low turnout in recent elections can be blamed on political parties that voters no longer wish to support.

"If we want to actually get out of the rut of the left/right politics and the dominance that the Democratic and the Republican parties have over the political process, we need a new party to do it," he said.

The race to succeed Gov. Deval Patrick has drawn nine candidates, five of whom are Democrats.

Past gubernatorial hopeful Charlie Baker and Shrewsbury businessman Mark Fisher are running as Republicans, while Jeffery McCormick of Boston is running as an independent.

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On the Democrat side, contenders include state Treasurer Steven Grossman, Attorney General Martha Coakley, former Medicare chief Don Berwick, former Homeland Security official Juliette Kayyem and biotechnology executive Joe Avellone.

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